How to Host a Baby Shower on a Budget: Four Ways to Save Money

Whether you have been asked, or you have decided to do it on your own, hosting a baby shower for your sister/daughter/niece/or other loved one is an honor that should be taken seriously. However, there is no reason to go to extravagant measures to do so if it is out of your means. Just as baby showers can be a wonderful experience and a joyous event, they can also be incredibly expensive, especially if you feel the need to go all out. Fear not! It is more than possible to host a beautiful, fun, and memorable baby shower, even while operating on a budget.

Getting Started

The first step you should take when planning a baby shower is to decide on a budget. How big or small of a shower can you afford to host? Consider if you will be paying for the entire event yourself or if there will there be assistance from the family members or friends of the mom-to-be. Establishing a budget will help you figure out how much money you can afford to spend, and can help you decide on how to spend that money. For example, how much money are you willing to spend on food and décor versus favors or entertainment? Below are several different areas in which you could save money to help throw an amazing, but amazingly frugal baby shower.

Location

Location is an obviously very important aspect of the upcoming shower. There are several different places you could choose to host the shower that can be rather economical.

Your Own Home: This option could be considered the best if you are hoping to throw a low budget baby shower. If your house is centrally located, or at least easy to follow directions to, and is large enough to host the number of people you will be inviting, why not turn your home into Baby Shower Central for a few hours? Not to mention, you will have memories of the event all the time, and it can help create a low stress and low-key environment for the shower.

Use Your People: If you know that your home may not be acceptable to throw a shower in, why not ask your friends or loved ones if they would be willing to help out? Don’t be afraid to ask the people in your lives if they would consider helping you in your quest to throw the best baby shower ever. Don’t forget to also consider backyards! Outdoor showers can be fun, unique, and can serve as their own form of decorations.

Use Your Town: Many towns and cities will allow you to either rent or just use their public spaces for cheap or for free. Much like the backyard option above, these spaces can serve as a sort of natural decoration. Many may also include the ability to cook food there, or have shaded pavilions to rent. If a park or public place isn’t your cup of tea, you might also consider community centers or even a church, synagogue, or other place of worship as a gathering spot.

Food and Drink

One of the easiest areas that you can cut costs in is the food and the beverages. Focus on quick and easy things that you can make yourself, or make with the help of a few other people. This could be food as simple as ham and turkey sandwiches on a Hawaiian roll, chips and dip, veggie trays, fruit kabobs, or a simple hand decorated cake or cupcakes. Focus on keeping the food light and “snacky”, which allows your guests to graze and focus more on the activities. If you are terrible in the kitchen, you could also consider asking your guests to each bring a dish to share, but be sure to thank them for their contribution.

Decorations

Decorations is one of those areas in which you could easily blow through a few hundred dollars and still want to buy more. However, it is entirely possible to make your location look beautiful or fun and funky without blowing your entire budget.

Dollar Store Ideas: When decorating for a baby shower, the local dollar store might be your best friend. They often sell latex balloons in high quantity. They aren’t as eye catching as Mylar balloons, but they are cheaper and the color options are normally far superior. You should also be able to find matching colorful streamers, paper lanterns, or other items that can help you create a cohesive, if somewhat minimalist design.

Printables: Printables are the internet’s new favorite go-to. You often only have to pay a small amount from 5-10 dollars, and then simply print out the designs on your own. This can work for food and drink labels, game labels, games themselves, and other aspects of your baby shower.

Repurpose: Feel free to repurpose items to be used as a part of the décor. A popular idea is to use mason jars or even soup cans you have removed the label from as utensil holders. You might also use some of your own dishes to help display food, or maybe even use a roll of wrapping paper as a table runner.

Games and Prizes

Games and prizes are another area of a baby shower where it might be easy to blow your budget. You want to buy the cutest kits, and give away elaborate prizes that are functional and beautiful, right? Well luckily, there are ways to do this on a budget. Keep the games nice and simple, such as the candy bar guessing game. You could also have the guests choose to make cards, write on diapers for “late night advice”, or other crafty things. As for prizes, thinking simple can help. Maybe create a simple bundle with nail polish and a nail file, or a loofah with some body soap in a shower caddy. You could also have guests each bring a package of diapers to be entered into a diaper raffle and give out only one gift instead.

In the end, the mother-to-be and your guests will appreciate your effort no matter what. As long as everyone is having fun and has a chance to honor the mother and baby, your baby shower will be beautiful – so happy planning!